


of frauds and saviors.

by solacier



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Manipulation, Medieval AU, Mentions of Death, Romance, What are tags??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 07:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13313745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solacier/pseuds/solacier
Summary: Roman had always believed his trusted Mage, Logan Vianne, would never hurt him.He always believed that Logan had loved him.And yet, one night, a vision changed it all.Logan was a murderer. And Roman had fallen in love with him.





	of frauds and saviors.

“Tell me the truth.”

“What truth is there to be told?”

“Logan-” Roman’s voice was desperate, breathy, and god he hated it. Hated how Logan reduced him to this. Stripped him of all control, all power and ego that Roman always had. Because Logan was a wild card. Logan, calm and collected Logan was a wild card. Two weeks ago, he would have laughed. Logan? A wildcard? Practically preposterous! But then Roman saw what lurked in his heart, what sent adrenaline through his veins, what went on in that brilliant brain of his…

 

He saw a flicker of death. And if the vision was true… god, Logan couldn’t be trusted.

 

* * *

 

God, Roman had to be cursed. For who else could fall in love with a Mage? The one who lingered just out of his reach, tempting him. enthralling him with a false sense of security. And yet, Roman knew, it was real. ...Maybe that’s what made him scared. So scared, and ever so desperate. Desperate to still love a man who had touched and mingled with death.

 

So he tried again, goddamnit, he tried again. His voice, even though it was watery and anything but strong… Roman wasn’t one to lose. Not even to his own heart. “I trust you, more than I trust half of my own royal guard! Doesn’t that mean anything? I… I know,  I know what I saw. You’re hiding something.”

 

Logan’s eyes averted, flickering to the ground below. That’s all it took for Roman’s blood to boil, and his heart to crack. “Logan. Answer me.”

He turned away from him - Logan was a coward, how could Roman fall in love with a coward? - and kept the silence. Roman clenched his fists and he stepped forward, grabbing the damned blue cloak and yanking. Logan barely even moved, and Roman cursed the goddamn magic the man held.

“Logan. I’m not letting you leave until you answer me.”

“I don’t have to let you do anything. I can leave of my free will.”

“Liar!” Roman yanked back, a futile attempt but he needed some sort of anchor, some sort of sign that the Logan he loved was still there. “That’s all you do! Lie, lie, lie - You can’t leave. Even with all that stupid magic, you can’t leave the palace. You can’t…”

Roman’s voice broke. “You can’t leave me.”

Logan finally turned, the hood still down just enough so Roman could see him. The shocks of magic that sparked around his eyes had never looked so intimidating. Even then, Roman could still remember how he had been so fascinated by them. He remembered how he’d foolishly asked Logan if he could touch them. And when he said yes, god, Roman had never felt so enchanted. Or perhaps cursed.

_“Can you control them?” Logan laughed at Roman’s question, a small hearty chuckle that sent Roman’s head spinning._

_“For the most part, I am able to.” Logan tilted his head towards the sky. “In moments of high emotions, however, I fail to do such.”_

_Roman raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on his face. “Emotions? You?”_

_“Hilarious.” Logan shook his head at Roman’s jab, a puff of air escaping his lips in the cold night. “But, I do have emotions, Your Highness.”_

_“I know, I know. But you never show them.” Roman shifted, glancing at the near-ethereal mage that sat next to him. “….Can you show them? Or is it some sort of magic law you must abide?”_

_“Mages can show their emotions… But I cannot.” Logan abruptly gazed at him and peered into Roman’s eyes with such strength that Roman felt a shiver go down his spine. “If I do… It would not end well.”_

_“Well, surely…” Roman hesitantly moved his hand. He placed it on Logan’s and risked a view back at Logan. “There can always be a happy ending.”_

Logan turned away, but Roman would be lying if he said he didn’t see the blush on the mage’s face.

The memory flashed through Roman and he gritted his teeth. Damn the Mage, and damn the magic that enthralled him. It seemed like such an innocent memory, such a pleasant and happy recollection. But Roman’s heart only seemed to break with each second. A dirty trick, Roman thought as he tightened his grip, a dirt, cowardly trick…

“Stop it!” Roman practically shouted, the sound bouncing off the walls as his heartbeat erratically, “Stop it, Logan!”

“Let go of my robe.”

“So you did lie.”Roman’s voice cracked, but he met Logan’s gaze head-on. He refused, with every fibre of his being, to let Logan walk out of this palace with victory.  “You’re keeping something from me. And your lying about it, aren’t you?”

He could barely even see Logan’s face at this point, his own filled with tears that he refused to let fall. All he could see was the magic sparking off of Logan’s eyes. And the glowing blue eyes that captured Roman’s heart. Everything Logan did seemed to only make Roman’s heart beat faster. Even if everything was a lie, even if Logan was a stupid mage with too much magic and not enough morals-

Logan broke the silence with one word, a whisper, a mockery of a response. “No.”

Roman felt a wave of heat overcome him, his mind suddenly spinning. His breath hitched and he lost his grip on Logan’s robe. It fluttered pathetically on the ground, the same ground that seemed to be coming towards him at an alarming pace. His knees felt weak weak weak weak and he stumbled forward, crashing into Logan. He felt arms being wrapped around him, steadying him, but all Roman knew was the ringing in his ears and the tears streaming down his eyes.

And yet, he heard one last phrase before darkness consumed him.

“…She had to pay.”

The world was blurry the moment Roman opened his eyes. The shadows seemed to stretch with every lethargic blink he took. His mind felt like it was stuffed with fluff - every sense dulled, deprived beyond belief. He could barely string together a coherent thought. He laid there, blinking for what seemed like hours. Roman tried to think: Where am I? Where… Where is Logan? The mere mention of his lover shook him to the core, unravelling whatever haze he had found himself in.

Roman gasped, jolting himself upright - which… proved to be a very, very bad idea as the world spun around him. He grunted and gripped his head, trying to calm the spinning and anxiety that threatened to overcome him. He breathed heavily. Calm, he told himself, don’t do anything brash.

But the moment Roman looked around the room, his gut twisted.

The walls were dark, and at every glance there was a scratch deeply embedded in the brick walls. A tall window stood steadfast in the middle of the circular room, even with barely concealed cracks in it. The floor seemed to be the only thing safe, pristine and so white it almost blinded Roman. But he knew this room by heart. How could he not?

It was Logan’s room.And he had been here so many times.

“I hope you don’t find this to be too dull for your tastes, Mage.” Roman gestured to the room, a wide and proud grin on his face as the Mage glanced around the room. He had specifically picked out this one - it was one of the tallest rooms in the castle, and on it’s on it had plenty flights of stairs to keep storage.

Roman figured if he was going to have a Royal Mage, he’d rather have one that was kept in comfort.

…And if he wanted to impress the angelic and good-looking Mage, well, nobody else needed to know that.

“It is suitable.” Roman couldn’t get over the depth in the Mage’s voice as he spoke. It was as if every single word, right down to the syllable, was planned in precision. God, Roman had never found such a pleasing voice before. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Roman stepped to the mage, a glisten in his eye. “Though, I believe I didn’t catch your name.”

Roman could see a small smirk from underneath the hood. He had seen the Mage’s face only a few times, and he was ever so tempted to reach over and yank the hood off just to see it. “You enlisted a Mage without researching a name?”

“Your magic seemed to be the most important thing-”

“You’re not wrong.” The Mage took the edges of his cobalt hood, and slowly moved it back.

Roman stared, eyes wide as the Mage revealed himself. Sparkling cerulean eyes met Roman’s honey brown.

“I am Logan Vianne. It’s a pleasure to serve you, my Prince.”

Roman shook himself from the memory, clutching his head. Logan had to be nearby, he reasoned, why else would a memory like that appear? He glanced around the room one more time. His heart tightened painfully and Roman forced himself to ignore the pleading for more. He, with slower precaution than before, eased himself out of the bed. It smelled like Logan, and that mere thought sent another shiver down his spine. Logan. He had to find him. If he was still in this castle, Roman had to find him. Had to yell at him to explain, just so Roman could be at peace-

…Logan had knocked him unconscious. Forcefully. Could Roman ever truly be at peace when that happened?

Roman moved to the door of the room and he placed his hand on the doorknob, turning it painfully slow. The door creaked and Roman slipped out of the room, thankful for his casually chosen, flatter shoes. He wouldn’t be able to be nearly as stealthy with the incredibly high heels. Roman moved down the quartz-covered hallways, trying to find that thread of nostalgia and memories that seemed to connect him and Logan. Even as he did so, he found himself almost being mocked by the golden-lined walls, mocking him of the golden solace he thought he could achieve.

In the end, he was just a Prince with no fairytale happy ending.

No, he abruptly thought, no. He wouldn’t let himself be doomed like that. He wouldn’t let this whole - this whole situation crumble out of his hands.

Roman would find out why Logan did what he did.

Even if his heart yearned for happy endings, he needed the truth above all.

Roman suddenly felt a tug as he entered the garden, a violent tug of feelings and emotions that shook him to his core. Logan, he mused. Roman broke out into a sprint and practically threw himself into the maze that was the Royal Garden. As he ran past, the colours of flowers and whatever other mystical crops blurred around him. Scents mingled with each other, each distracting him from following Logan. Damn magic, he cursed to himself, and damn the Mage who was so good at it.

Roman skidded to a halt, panting as he bent over to put his hands on his knees. The garden was impossibly large, and the tug he felt was slowly disappearing at every second. He felt sweat drip down his face as he heaved in more breath. He had to find Logan, had to, otherwise… No. A Prince would not accept defeat. He would find Logan. He would explain.

Roman stood, eyes scanning the outside area before they landed on the hedge maze. He recalled making it out of jest, but the moment he locked eyes with it the tug returned, stronger than before.

Leave it to the Mage to enter an impossible maze, unknowingly and knowingly.

He quickly struggled over there, his own energy waning slightly before Roman slowly shuffled inside, taking a deep breath. He entered the maze, hoping to whatever deity existed in this hellhole.

And he was immediately met with a wave of memories.

_“You really are dramatic, My Prince.”_

_Roman laughed heartily, a smirk dawning his features as he leaned forward to Logan. “Oh really?”_

_Logan nodded with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. The epitome, Roman thought, of being unimpressed. “Yes. Must you do every action with such wild gesticulations?”_

_“Ges-tic-u-la-tions?” Roman’s nose crinkled at the unfamiliar word, though he swiftly smirked all over again. “Sounds… sexual~”_

_The expression on Logan’s face made Roman break out into laughter all over again. Roman had never - ever - seen someone look so incredibly ‘’done’ in his whole life._

_“You really only have one goal in life, do you?” Logan rolled his eyes at Roman’s antics, but the words made Roman pause, his laugh abruptly cut off._

_“…What do you mean?” Roman slowly sat back up, curiosity taking him over._

_Logan glanced at him, and Roman felt the brief tension that consumed the air - noticed the cautious sparks that appeared around Logan’s eyes. “You seem to only care about finding love.”_

_“Well,” Roman shifted in his chair, moving the spoon around the dish, “Yes. I always loved the idea of a special love. God, if I had a significant other… I’d shower them with love. I’d love to, well, be in love.”_

_Roman locked eyed with Logan, an action caused by accident and a blush rose to Roman’s face. And yet, Logan’s collected expression faltered, just for a second, but long enough for Roman to see a brief blush._

_“…I see.”_

Roman escaped that wall of memories, though his heart begged for him to stay inside it. It was the nicer version of life - One where everything was fine and okay and good. But it was a lie. An illusion. Logan wasn’t good - god, but he still loved him. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to move through the maze. Roman used to have only one goal: Finding love. But he had a new one, a better one: Finding the truth. And even if he was conflicted between finding the truth, and love… Damnit, he’d find a way to meet both.

There used to be only one person in his life which he trusted. Then, there were two.

And then she died.

One remained.

Logan Vianne. The man who destroyed his life, and yet still was a part of it.

Logan.

Roman made it to the centre of the maze, chest rising up and down from the strenuous searching. But it was worth it – all of it was worth it just to finally see the back of Logan’s robe.

“Logan!”

The Mage turned around, and Roman could already see the sparks flying around his eyes. “…Your Highness.”

“Stop running away.”

“I’m not.”

“Stop lying, then.”

“I’m not.” Roman could see the tension in Logan’s shoulders, as could he feel the tension in the air. Logan’s own tone was cold, but wavering ever so slightly.

Roman stepped towards Logan, fighting to keep his own emotions under control. He couldn’t lose Logan now. “You are. You- Tell me you didn’t do it. Tell me the vision was wrong.”

Roman tried to ignore the shakiness in his own voice and the crack that came out.

Logan shook his head, and Roman saw his fists tightening from the space in his cloak. “It was unimportant.”

…So it was true.

His heart shattered.

“Unimportant?!” Roman put a hand over his heart, scrunching his shirt. “You mean to tell me that murdering somebody is unimportant?!”

“You never asked. You never even wanted to know.” It was Logan’s turn to step closer, and Roman stared at the number of sparks blowing off of him. “Why do you care now? I did it before, it’s in the past, it does not matter-”

It doesn’t matter. The words were mocking Roman, and the fact Logan of all people, of the few he trusted “I never knew?! I never knew?! You didn’t even tell me she died! You didn’t even tell me you murdered her!

“You killed someone in my name! You killed her in cold blood!” Roman’s screamed, baring his teeth and moving forward. “You killed her! You killed her, you killed her, you killed her-”

“She didn’t deserve to live!” A shock of lightning hit the ground next to Logan, small and miniature but so stupid, stupid, stupid- “Don’t defend the dead!”

“She’s only dead because of you!” Roman’s ears pounded, and for once in his life, he didn’t care what he was saying, “Why would you kill her?! I loved you! You knew, you fucking know even now, my heart belongs to you! So what was it? Jealousy? Envy? Or you being a selfish little mage!?”

“She wasn’t good for you! She was only going to hurt you-”

“Liar!” Roman launched himself forward, grabbing onto Logan’s arm and he could see a look of pain grow on Logan’s face. He didn’t care. He didn’t give one care of the world for Logan. “She was the nicest thing that ever happened to me - She was the nicest person in this godforsaken kingdom!”

“Let go of me, Roman.” Logan was shaking, eyes narrowing and Roman could only laugh, laugh and yell nonsensical words in his stupid, stupid face-

“Why?! Why did you kill her?! TELL ME, LOGAN-”

 

“GET OFF OF ME!”

 

A ball of lightning exploded through the maze and Roman felt himself being thrown back.

 

And everything went white.

 

_“Marilyn, I care for you, deeply.” Roman soothed, rubbing his closest friend’s arm gently, “You know that.”_

_“I do, yeah, but…” Marilyn sniffled and shook her head. “What about that Mage of yours? I know the way you look at him…”_

_“Mari…” Roman couldn’t deny that fact and only sighed. “I do… have an infatuation with him…”_

_A single tear escaped Marilyn’s face and Roman was quick to wipe it off, frowning. “Roman…”_

_“Mari…” Roman’s heart throbbed, god, the last thing he wanted was to make Marilyn feel… defeated. But his heart longed for Logan, but Marilyn had always been there. Always. At every glance, Mari was there, guiding him, telling him what to do with soft words and gentle caresses… She was the light in his darkness._

_So he let Mari press a kiss to his lips, let her press him into the mattress._

_“He can have you,” Marilyn whispered gently into his ear, “But remember, you were mine first… You have to come back to me, Roman… Who else will save you?”_

_Roman only nodded before letting himself be lost to sensations_

 

…Memories of her. Memories of Marilyn…

 

_“Marilyn, I don’t- I don’t know what to do…” Roman was desperate, confused and dizzy from all the sudden expectations._

_“Don’t worry, Roman.” Marilyn hummed, playing with the loose strands of Roman’s hair, “You came to me. That’s good… That’s good of you…”_

_Roman felt the tension slowly disappear from his shoulders as she whispered solutions quietly into his ear._

_Marilyn knew best._

_Marilyn was everything._

 

Roman had loved her-

 

_“Marilyn.”_

_Marilyn turned around, dressed in her flowing red gown that clung to her hips. A crystal dangled from her ear as her hair was curled to perfection. And she held a staff - a glowing, powerful staff wielding a blood-red ruby._

 

_“Oh… You’re Roman’s new boy-toy…” Her voice was sickening, dripping with honey. She sauntered closer to him, making a show of her pulsing staff._

 

_“I am his Mage. Not his boy-toy.” Logan kept his tone cold, though he couldn’t help the slight twitch in his eye. Marilyn - or whatever her true name was - radiated with power. Dark, dark power. It was seeping into his skin…_

 

_“Logan - That’s what you go by, right?” Marilyn clicked her tongue and smirked. “Such a dull name for a mighty mage as yourself.”_

 

_“Your flattery will get you nowhere.”_

 

_Marilyn laughed, spinning in her gown and gesturing to her earing. “Really? It seems to have gotten me pretty far~”_

 

_“You’re sickening.” Logan wished they were somewhere more private, somewhere away from the ongoing party that was being held right in the next room. He wouldn’t be able to do anything now. “I am sure the Prince is not aware of your history.”_

 

_“And why do you care?” Marilyn tilted her head at him, a wolfish smile still on her face. “You’ve just met my Roman, by contract. If you didn’t know before… I’m with him for more ~personal~ reasons.”_

 

_“It is in my contract to protect the Prince.”_

 

_“It’s not in the contract to dabble in his personal affairs~ So I’d recommend, pretty boy,” Marilyn stepped closer, trailing her finger up his jaw and right to his eyes, “You stay out of it.”_

 

_His sparks flickered to life as he narrowed his eyes. “The consequences?”_

 

_“More than you can imagine.”_

 

Wait, no, that wasn’t his - That didn’t belong to him -  Roman tried to stop the onslaught of memories, tried to stop this agony-

 

_“You have manipulated the Prince for far too long.” Logan’s magic crackled to life, spiralling around him in more than a show of power. His eyes narrowed as his cloak slowly levitated, a book in his hand._

_“I warned you earlier, little mage.” Marilyn held her staff, her inkesque dress flowing onto the ground. Blood practically dribbled down it, and Marilyn’s proud smirk was all he needed to grimace. “You do not mess with my Roman.”_

_Logan spared a glance at Roman’s fallen figure, tossed across the courtyard like a rag doll. Anger burned inside him and he growled at Marilyn. “He is not yours. He is his own person, his own being-”_

_“Don’t play dumb, Logan~” Marilyn gestured to Roman, fire burning at her fingertips, “You want him to be yours too~ You know he’s a spectacular source… oh so overflowing with raw energy. And you want him to be all yours, you want to claim him-”_

_“Zeuvtrapi!” Lightning spawned to life, a whole sphere of sheer electricity surrounding the two of them. Logan’s magic burned, and so did his anger._

_“Don’t deny it, little mage~” She cooed, and Logan saw her own magic beginning to unravel inside her staff, “Don’t lie.”_

_“I have never lied. I won’t start here, Dragon Witch!”_

_The Dragon Witch cackled, and fire met lightning._

 

Roman gasped, air suddenly flowing through his mouth as he desperately breathed. He coughed violently, laying on the ground and trying, trying to get the world to stop spinning. To stop hurting. God, he wanted to throw up. His ears were ringing, and Roman groaned in pain. Get up, he tried to think. But all his mind could think was of one thing: Marilyn. Those couldn’t have been real. They - They couldn’t have been…. Mari was kind, leading him in moments of darkness.

But Mari was the Dragon Witch. In Logan’s mind, he had been so sure -  and Logan had never lied.

Except once.

To him.

A cry broke out of Roman, a pathetic little sob escaping his lips. It couldn’t be real, he begged, it couldn’t be.

“Roman!” And suddenly, there was Logan, kneeling in front of him. Roman couldn’t stop the waterfall of tears, nor could he stop the choked breaths. “…My Prince, I-”

“Sh- Shut, sh…” Roman tried to say something - anything - to get him to stop. He couldn’t handle this. Couldn’t handle - the love of his life killed the love of his life.

Logan remained silent, and Roman kept sobbing. He didn’t know how long he spent there, but a wave of exhaustion took him over and Roman went limp.

* * *

When Roman came to, he didn’t want to open his eyes.

Opening his eyes meant coming to a world where Marilyn Garnal had never been his friend. A world where Marilyn Garnal had manipulated him beyond belief. A world where… Marilyn Garnal didn’t exist. Only the Dragon Witch.

A world where Logan Vianne had lied to him about it all.

“I know you’re awake.” He heard Logan whisper, a quiet and warm sound. But even if Logan knew he was awake… Roman didn’t want to give him that. Didn’t want to lose to Logan… But maybe this wasn’t something Roman could lose or win. He was just a pawn in a game of chess between two magic wielders.

_An oh so overflowing source of energy._

Roman opened his eyes slowly, finding himself in Logan’s familiar room. He felt the bed underneath him, and it still held Logan’s scent from earlier. Roman exhaled. That memory seemed like a decade ago. And Roman didn’t want to think about memories, about what had happened… He inhaled. He slowly turned his head on the pillow, staring at Logan’s sitting form.

Roman took a look at him, a real, good look at the mage who had destroyed and saved his heart. There were bags under his eyes, but the sparks still were very prominent. His eyes were dim, and his skin was paler than usual. Logan’s cloak was singed at the edges, but everything else was the same. Everything but the somber and yet frightenend expression on his face.

“Roman…”

He exhaled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You wouldn’t have believed me.” Roman stared at Logan at the response, eyes glazed over.

“…I wouldn’t have.” Roman raised a shaky hand to Logan’s, taking it and squeezing it gently. “But… now, now I do.”

Logan’s eyes widenened ever so slightly before his eyes flickered away. “Roman-”

“Stop, stop, for a second.” Roman felt his heart beat, felt his voice shake and crack. Roman exhaled, shaking his head as his heart longed for a close. For peace. He could still barely comprehend what had happened. He could barely believe that Marilyn was nothing but a manipulator. He could barely believe that Logan had chosen to lie to him. Even after he promised never to do such. “I…I can’t trust you. Not - not right now. I can’t do that, when the only thing that made you love me was my endless source of energ-”

Roman broke out into a cough, jolting himself upright and tryig to calm his breathing. He tried to focus, and he slowly and finally breathed in carefully.

Logan looked him in the eyes at that moment, stared and peered right into Roman’s soul. And Roman looked back into Logan’s.

Logan took his hand, raising it and pressing a kiss onto it. “My Prince… I have never loved you for your energy. I have only ever loved you for being you. Even when you were under her influence, you still only made decisions you knew were morally right. You were brave, kindhearted… and still are. I do not care for your energy. I have never taken one ounce of it. I…”

“I love you, Roman, more than my magic, more than this kingdom, more than anything.”

Roman smiled, a soft one that Roman knew he barely showcased. “I… I love you too.”

Logan slowly leaned forward, pausing just briefly. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

Logan kissed Roman, a gentle, soft one that Roman had never experienced. It was so unlike Marilyn -  a demanding, rough one. God, Logan made him feel above a Prince, above a King - And even if he had no magic in his veins, Logan made him feel magical. Roman kissed back just as gently, basking in the warmth and pure love in it all.

When he broke away, he gave Logan a shy smirk.

 

“That was a pretty wild gesticulation.”

 

“…You are insufferable, Your Majesty.”

 

“You love me anyways.”

 

“That, I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> ask me any questions about this lmao I'll answer to the best of my ability.
> 
> originally a secret santa gift to my closest pal <3


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